Successful treatment with cyclosporine of thymoma-related aplastic anemia.

Aplastic anemia is a rare immune-mediated complication of thymoma. Thymomas, especially of the cortical type, have the capacity to generate mature T-cells from their immature precursors. Furthermore, mature intratumorous T-cells have an increased autoantigen-specific potential.

HER-2/neu status of primary breast cancer and corresponding metastatic sites in patients with advanced breast cancer treated with trastuzumab-based therapy.

Background: The aim of this prospective study was to investigate whether there were changes in HER-2/neu status in newly-developed metastatic lesions following treatment with trastuzumab in advanced breast cancer patients overexpressing HER-2/neu. The utility of serological assays for HER-2/neu in such patients was also studied.

Patients And Methods: Sixteen patients with HER-2/neu-overexpressing tumors (15 were 3+ by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and one 2+ by IHC and positive by the chromogenic in situ hybridization (CISH) test) were included in the study.

Prognostic value of serum levels of immunoglobulins (IgA, IgM, IgG, IgE) in patients with colorectal cancer.

In the present study, the serum immunoglobulin levels of 100 patients with colorectal cancer who had undergone antitumor therapy, were measured before and during therapy. We received three samples before therapy and further samples every 2 months after initiation of therapy. It was found that the group of patients having increased IgG (P less than 0.